All I Want For Christmas
by Kroissant
Summary: Felannie family Christmas Date (with special guest Auntie Lysithea) SS gift for #Spicy from discord server!


**Hello, so this is my second Secret Santa gift!**

**This time, it's for Spicy from the discord server!**

**Their prompt is as follows - 'please something fluffy and cute! Maybe Christmas-y? Like singing songs together, wearing cute sweaters, drinking hot chocolate, exchanging gifts, baking cookies, something like that!'**

**I GOT YOU, DON'T WORRY!**

**SPICY (#0779), SORRY IT TOOK SO LONG BUT HERE YOU GO! I HOPE YOU ENJOY!**

* * *

Christmas.

Across the continent of Fódlan, thousands are quick to join in the festive holiday.

Gatherings of people of all ages crowd around the iconic tree, with many heaps of presents hidden under the base, prepared and ready for all to receive. Drinks of eggnog and hot chocolate to pass around for the young and old, each wearing matching ugly sweaters, and the smell of gingerbread lingering in the open air…and most of all, spending quality time with loved ones.

—Truly, the most magical, and joyous time of the year.

Picking up a bell-shaped ornament from one of the boxes, Annette narrows her eyes, bringing the item close to her. "Hmm…"

No scratches nor smudges.

She smiles, and then carefully offers it to the hands of her three-year-old daughter.

"Here you go, sweetie,"

The small dark-haired girl nods, reaching out for the plastic ornament gleefully. Upon claiming it, she turns her head to take a look at the decorated Christmas tree in front of her. She frowns, trying hard to find a good spot to put it.

Her big, blue eyes finally land on one and going on her tip-toes, plucks it on the highest tree branch she could reach by herself. Clapping her hands, she rushes clumsily to her mother's side.

"Mama, lookie!" She cries, tugging at her mother and pointing at what she just did a few seconds ago.

Annette shifts her eyes in the same direction and smiles. "Good job, Gwen,"

Her little girl beams, squealing as she makes a happy little dance.

At this, Annette laughs and stretches her hand to ruffle her dark head fondly.

"Mama?" Gwen calls out, pulling on her mother's long, teal sleeve again. "Any more stuff to put in big green?"

Annette blinks and takes a swift glance at the small tree nearby. She tips her head, mulling it over and lets her eyes wander to the now-empty boxes in her hands.

"No, I don't think so,"

Gwen pouts, folding her arms. "Boo…"

Annette smiles at her childishness. Casting aside the cardboard boxes, she rises from the carpet flooring. After lightly patting her pants to rid of the dust, she squats to her knees. "Gwen, let's go,"

As always, Gwen naturally gives in, her disheartening expression dissipating in seconds. She bounces up and down, chanting out loudly, "Mama, Mama! Up, up!"

Annette shakes her head. Nevertheless, she obliges. "Come here," And seizes her daughter into her arms.

In response, Gwen snakes her tiny arms around her mother's neck. She nuzzles her rosy right cheek along with the soft teal fabric, sighing blissfully.

"Mama?"

"Yes, darling?"

"Will Sandy Claws like what we made?"

Annette giggles at her daughter's adorable slip of mispronunciation. She leans in to peck her softly on the temple. "He's going to love it," She guarantees, poking her button nose. She closes her eyes for a moment, and humming a little tune, begins rocking her little one. "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas~"

"Kwis mis!" Gwen sings along, exposing her front bucktooth. "Kwis mis!"

Annette laughs. "That's right," And peppers her more with kisses.

From the corner of her eye, she spots two familiar faces—her husband standing close to the railing of the open archway, embracing a little boy—a mix of curiosity and awe adorning their expressions.

"Oh, boys! Just in time!" Annette calls out, waving to them ecstatically. "Come, come!"

Felix doesn't say a word and as if hypnotized, strolls over to his wife and daughter with his son tucked securely in his arms.

Annette closes the distance between them and smiles as she reaches out to pinch Glenn's chubby left cheek in greeting.

"Did little red trouble you with his bath time?"

"You could say that," Felix replies, and grins smugly when he sees his wife offered him a weird look. "So, are we still going or what?"

"Hmm?" Annette tips her head confused at this. Eventually, her eyes glimmer brightly as it finally dawns on her. "Oh, yes!"

Something lightly tugs her sleeve again. Annette glances at her daughter who looks back innocently. "Mama? Where?"

Annette smiles. "We are going to have a family date,"

"…Date?" Glenn blurts out, rubbing his eyes and looking up to face her.

Watching their mother nod to confirm, her twins glance at each other.

Felix places Glenn on the couch with Annette doing the same with Gwen.

"We should get going before the stores are closed," Felix suggests, already going on ahead to get their coats from the closet. "Who knows if your favorite sweets shop still operates at this hour,"

Annette nods firmly, suddenly putting on a serious face. "You're right," She shifts her eyes to their children. "How about it? Want to go outside and have more fun?"

Glenn and Gwen cheer loudly, earning a wide grin from their mother.

"I'd take that as a yes then,"

* * *

It was already late in the afternoon and the Capital city of Fhirdiad was alive as ever.

Unsurprisingly, the public street was crowded with twice the numbers—with many people, both young and old, wandering about with shopping bags in tow. Holiday carols rang harmoniously, piercing the cold, frigid air with its infectious melody.

The festive spirit was all around, and the Fraldarius family of four was no exception to this.

Together, Felix and Annette walked under the dim lights of the streetlamps, keeping close as they venture further in the neighborhood.

"Wow, pretty!" Gwen squeals, wriggling uncomfortably inside her mother's arms as she drinks in the festivity. She averts her eyes to her parents and baby brother who were also immersed by the holiday spirit around them.

On the opposite end was Glenn, still being held by his father, cowering a little as he catches a few bystanders rushing in and out of stores in a hurry. Felix notices this right away and tightens his grip on his son, heaving a sharp breath in as he tries his best to dodge a few coming their way.

"Should we take a quick detour?" Annette suggests, slowing her pace to keep in line with her husband.

Felix looks to her and shakes his head. He takes her by the hand, hoisting his son a little more with his other one. "All up to you," He mumbles, and he grows warm when he catches her smile.

And just like that, Annette pulls her husband along, quickening her steps a little and gracefully evading the incoming shoppers and pedestrians.

More brightly colored Christmas lights and prickly wreaths hover over their heads.

More carol singing reaches their ears and kingdom police vehicles are stationed at each corner of the sidewalks.

Soon, the sweetshop was coming into view.

Ecstatic, Annette rushes ahead, tailed after by Felix who couldn't help but emit a tiny smile as he admires her jovial mood from behind.

The bell on the entrance door rings soundly in the large space of the bakery, catching the eyes and attention from one of the employees.

"Annette!"

Hearing her name, Annette follows the voice.

"LYSITHEA!" She cries loudly, alerting many of the customers in the store. Releasing her hands from Felix, Annette holds her daughter tight as she rushes to greet her dear friend behind the cashier. "Hey, it's been too long hasn't it?"

Lysithea grins then take notice of the little girl nestled in the latter's arms. She sneaks a peek at Felix in the background with another toddler in his hold, then shifts her gaze to her friend. "What are you all doing here? Shouldn't you be at home and celebrate or whatever?" She wonders aloud.

Annette giggles. "Well, we came here for a family date," She says, and slowly puts little Gwen down to stand on her own.

Felix silently moves in, carefully putting Glenn to join his sister as well.

Once the little boy was released, he was quick to go with his sister, and together, the pair races up to press their chubby cheeks against the cold, transparent glass—their big blue and copper eyes growing large as they marvel at the display of many cakes and pastries before them.

Lysithea notices this right away and chuckles. "Since the four of you made the effort to come all the way here, then…" She trails off and proceeds to spread her arms on top of the glass. "Go and pick whatever you like in the dessert section," A pause. "That includes you too, Felix,"

Felix offers her a confused look.

At this, Lysithea widens her smile. "You know, I still have that no-sweet recipe you enjoyed back from high school," She explains, "So, how about it?"

Felix sighs heavily.

He catches his wife look to him with excitement in her eyes. He stands still, finding himself getting lost in her eyes…then veers down to check in on their twins. Like Annette, Gwen and Glenn were also looking to him for permission.

A shade of red creeps on his face and Felix brings a hand to massage his forehead. "…Fine,"

Lysithea smiles, exchanges a quick look at her good friend and then proceeds to pull out plastic gloves hiding inside the front pocket of her gingerbread-themed apron. Retreating a step, she slightly squats to her knees and proceeds to slide the glass window halfway.

"Hey, kiddos," Lysithea begins, and for extra measure, she snaps her fingers to catch the twins' attention from the other side. "Pick which one you'd like,"

Gwen and Glenn beam at her words.

"THIS, THIS!" Gwen exclaims, pointing harshly at a small chocolate cupcake.

"THAT, THAT!" Glenn chants after, darting his tiny finger at a milk muffin with chocolate chips.

Lysithea nods, and snatches the sweets with her gloved hands, placing them in a small platter. "And you, love birds?"

Ignoring her friend's teasing, Annette props her head a little forward, examining the desserts in close detail. "May I have a slice of strawberry shortcake?"

Lysithea nods then shift her sights on Felix. "And one slice of no-sweet cake for you, correct?"

Felix shrugs half-heartedly.

Lysithea smiles. "I'd take that as a yes," And goes on to claim the two ordered slices. Balancing the plate with one hand, she writes the selected desserts on her small notepad idly lying next to the cashier machine. She puts the plate on a tray and ever so carefully slides it toward Annette's direction. "Here you go," She says, presenting it to them.

"Oh, thank you so much, Lysithea!" Annette thanks, smiling graciously at her act of kindness. She looks to her twins and gestures them to repeat after her.

"Thank you, Auntie!" The twins exclaim in unison, hopping energetically up and down.

Lysithea blushes furiously at their cuteness.

She watches the family begin to walk away from the counter, with Felix being the first one to locate a table closest to the wall.

"Woah, wait!"

Annette pauses at her steps and looks over her shoulder. "Hmm?"

"Drinks are also on me," Lysithea suddenly proclaims, still blushing.

Annette blinks in confusion. "Wait, what?" When she gains a confirmed nod, Annette smiles earnestly. "Oh, uh…thanks, Lysithea!"

Lysithea mirrors her grin. "Oh, don't thank me," She says, and tipping her head a little, her eyes soften as she keenly observes the pair of twins struggling to climb on a chair. "Just be lucky that those kids of yours are freaking cute,"

* * *

And so, for the next hour, the Fraldarius family remains in the sweets shop.

Gwen and Glenn both sat at the head of the table, seated comfortably on the high toddler chairs. At Gwen's right was Annette, cooing her as she feeds her daughter with her slice of cake. On the opposite side was Felix, stifling a low chuckle as he gently wipes off the many chunks of crumbs and frosting from the cake he'd offered, sprinkled all over his poor son's entire face.

As per request, Lysithea personally came over to give the family their drinks—hot chocolate for Annette, black tea for Felix, and two warm bottles of milk for the twins.

Another thirty more minutes, and not long after, Lysithea joins along to spend a little time with the children…completely unaware of Annette videotaping the whole scene of her desperately urging them not to play around with their long, stark white hair.

And when the time came for the small family to leave, Lysithea once again surprised the couple with more sweets for them to take home. "For the kiddos," She reasons, doing her best to keep her assertive face. When Annette and Felix bids farewell, and hoisting their children back into their arms, turning their backs and moving for the exit…Lysithea waves one last time to the twins who joyfully returns the gesture.

* * *

They came home not too long after their short visit to the sweets shop. The wind picked up immediately as they entered the cold, frigid streets and minutes later, heavy snow came showering down.

And here they were now, disposed of their coats (hanging on the racks), returning to the living room after a long day, and snuggled up under a large, quilted blanket which Annette's mother personally handmade on her own. Felix silently observes his wife who resumes her reading to their children situated at the very middle—dividing both partners and deriving them from seeking each other for warmth.

"…Having found his true family, the ugly duckling was happy," Annette recites, her voice soft and sincere as she flips to the next page of the large picture book—depicting of the ugly duckling, now transformed into a beautiful swan, surrounded by his kin. "And he lived happily ever after. The End." She closes the book, setting it down on the nearby table.

Gwen and Glenn cry cheerfully, raising their arms and bouncing a little as they root for the good ending.

"Settle down, you two," Felix chastises them, patting his large right hand on their chubby bellies.

"More stories, Mama!" Gwen insists, still wide-awake to listen more.

"Yeah, yeah!" Glenn agrees with her, nodding meekly.

Annette grins and then checks at the clock hanging on the wall. "I don't know, you two…it's almost bedtime,"

The twins groan, and to her surprise, even Felix looked a little disappointed.

Annette giggles. "How about I sing instead?"

Suddenly, her children were quick to recover. She checks up on her husband and stifles her laughter when she notices him staring intensely at her with such childlike wonder.

"Sing, sing, Mama!"

"Yay, a song!"

"Okay, quiet down now…Mama's going to sing," Annette assures them and pulls the edge of the blanket closer to their chins. Placing her head against the cushion she shares with her little girl, she stretches her arm to embrace their tiny bodies and snuggles them close.

All eyes were on her.

Annette clears her throat and waits for a tune to pop into her head.

When it does, she grins earnestly and begins by humming softly.

Glenn moves a little backward to pin himself to his father, clinging his tiny hand on his collar as he waits in anticipation. As for Gwen, she moves a bit forward, closer to her mother to hear better.

**Silent night, holy night**

**All is calm, all is bright**

Annette sings proudly and clearly, blushing a little as she notices her husband's lingering gaze at her. She presses a hand close to her chest and with her other, goes on to fondly touch the midnight strands of her darling daughter's head.

**Round yon Sothis, Mother, and Child**

**Holy infant Seiros, so tender and mild**

Silently, Felix places his hand on top of his son's chubby belly and closes his eyes briefly. He lets a small smile spread across his lips. The melodious voice of his wife, the rising and falling of his son's belly, and the warmth from the blanket over him…for a moment, he was at peace.

**Sleep in heavenly peace**

Annette keeps her stares on her daughter, who looks back at her with droopy eyes. Gently, she caresses her chubby right cheek and smiles as she sees Gwen lean in and sigh in content. This time, Annette sings a little softer, a little quieter, repeating it about three times.

To her luck, her spellbound Christmas song was lulling her little ones to sleep.

**Sleep in heavenly peace**

Annette ends the song with her humming again, and as she does so, sneaks one last peek at her husband—eyes already closed and sleeping soundly with their son. She smiles at this and puts her arm over their daughter, who unconsciously wraps her tiny hands around her wrist and turns around, using her mother's arm as a pillow to hold onto.

"Mama?"

Annette averts her eyes, surprised to find her daughter still awake with half-lidded eyes. "…Hmm?"

"I…like today," Gwen mutters, her words slurred.

Annette smiles. "Really?"

Gwen weakly nods her head. "Uh-huh…"

"That's good to hear," Annette comments and presses her soft lips on her daughter's temple.

"Can we…again?"

Annette furrows her eyebrows. "You mean, like today?" She asks, trying to decipher the words. "You wish to do it again?"

When she gains another nod, Annette giggles. "I'll make sure of it," And kisses her on the nose. "Sleep now…we have another big day tomorrow,"

"…Mhm,"

Annette smiles and then looks over to the clock one last time.

With a long, tired sigh, she settles herself on the comforts of the couch.

Oh, Sothis…she was getting sleepy herself…

She lazily glimpses at the big Christmas tree nearby, brightly lit up, and then to her husband fast-asleep. With little energy still left in her, Annette places her hand on top of his own, leans a little to plant a kiss on his cheek, before throwing her head back on the cushion. She heaves a deep, long breath…and with a tired smile, finally submits to her slumber.

* * *

**The title of this fanfic was inspired by the song, 'All I Want for Christmas' and in this case, the Christmas-y theme centers around the felannie family and their desire to be with each other-spending quality time and all that mushy-gushy fluff.**

**Alright, just one more left to go now!**

**Thank you all for taking the time to read this monstrosity, and have a wonderful early Christmas to all!**


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